


Hilltops

by Leloqier



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha Lotor (Voltron), Alpha Shiro (Voltron), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Law Enforcement, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Iverson's a bitch, Kidnapping, Lance/Shiro - Freeform, Lotor is gross, M/M, Mild description of torture, Mutual Pining, Omega Lance (Voltron), Onesided Klance - Freeform, PTSD mentions, Pining Lance (Voltron), Pining Shiro (Voltron), Sexual Harrassment, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Slow Burn, shance, tell me if i should add anything else
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-04-06 08:41:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14053170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leloqier/pseuds/Leloqier
Summary: “My boyfriend gets a free drink and a pastry whenever he visits!”Lance wasn't sure what possessed him and he was just about ready to crawl into a corner and die when Shiro turned back to look at him. If Shiro hadn't thought he was odd before, he most certainly would want to get the hell away from Lance as fast as he could now.But maybe Shiro was just as crazy as him, because out of all possible logical reactions, he smiled.“I guess I know where I'll be eating lunch tomorrow.”





	1. Mamma Mia

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [One Caramel Macchiato To Go](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14023068) by [Hannaadi88](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hannaadi88/pseuds/Hannaadi88). 



> First tidbit written by this wonderful person on Tumblr @hannaadi88 go check them out! I did ask permission to continue writing this and to post it not to worry! My writing and hers will be separated by a line!
> 
> Chapter title song: [Mamma Mia- ABBA](https://youtu.be/6OwPHD61Y3s)

“Lance,” two heavy hands settled themselves on his shoulders. “You're doing so well today.”

Lance took a deep breath. He rolled his shoulders and coughed, hoping his boss would take the hint. Instead, Lotor's grip only tightened.

Lance never really expected any less.

Sighing, Lance pulled away and walked over to the other side of the counter, pretending to organize the napkins and straws container. Any excuse to get away from the alpha's touch.

“Thanks,” Lance turns his head and offers Lotor a lukewarm grin. “Just doin' my job.”

If only he didn't need to. Hunk kept telling him to quit whenever Lance told him about Lotor's handsiness, that no rent money was worth the unwavering unsolicited attention from his shift manager. But there weren't all that many places that were willing to hire an unmated omega. The Galra had been the only place to get back to Lance during his initial job hunt.

And honestly? The work really wasn't all that difficult. The Galra was a cute cafe and Lance got along swimmingly with his coworkers. Perhaps too swimmingly. Lotor's flirtations started out innocent enough, but lately, his advances were really starting to be a pain in Lance's ass.

“No, you're really going above and beyond what's required of you, Lance. I think you deserve a... reward.”

Lance froze. Scratch that, Lotor was more than just a pain in the ass. He was on his ass as well.

Turning around, Lance slapped Lotor's hand away and narrowed his eyes. His cheeks were burning with an angry mix of indignation and shame.

This couldn't go on.

“Lotor, stop it,” Lance hissed and tried to stare Lotor down. “I'm not interested!”

The alpha only smiled at him.

“You don't need to deny it, Lance. I can tell you want it.”

Lance shook his head in disgust and moved to sidestep Lotor, but the alpha quickly trapped him between his arms. Stuck between the counter and Lotor's chest, Lance's heartbeat quickened.

This wasn't good.

“Lotor, c'mon, don't do this,” Lance decided to try and appeal to Lotor's sense of integrity. He'd seen it before- what happened to that alpha Lance knew who pulled another alpha away from a scared omega patron last month? “I told you I'm not interested. That should be enough.”

Lotor looked at him for a long moment and for a second, Lance thought that it worked. But no sooner did the relief start to kick in than Lotor stepped closer and leaned down, pressing his nose to Lance's neck and scenting him.

Lance's breath caught in his throat. “Your scent doesn't lie, Lance.”

Gritting his teeth, Lance raised his hands and pushed Lotor away with a scowl. Only dicks used an omega's biology against them. Lance was an unmated omega- of course his body would react to an unmated alpha's scent right up and in his personal space. But just because his biology was interested in the match didn't mean that Lance was. Was that so difficult for Lotor to understand?

Why was he being so impossible today? Maybe he should quit. There must be some other establishment in the city that would hire him. Lance just didn't think he could handle Lotor much longer.

But maybe he'll try one last thing before limiting himself to cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner until he found a new job.

“Listen, Lotor,” Lance took a deep breath and met the alpha's eyes. “The truth is, I'm already seeing someone.” Lotor blinked and took half a step back automatically before his brow creased with an accompanying frown.

“No, you're not.”

Lance huffed and crossed his arms. “Yes I am!”

“Why don't I smell any claim on you, then?” Lotor pursed his lips.

“We just started dating a few weeks ago. That's not enough time for a claim,” Lance waved Lotor's words away with as much nonchalance as he could muster.

Lotor still looked doubtful, though.

“I don't believe you. You're lying to get me to stop courting you.”

Lance shrugged. “Then don't believe me. But I wouldn't risk it if I were you. My boyfriend can be pretty territorial, if you know what I mean.”

That seemed enough to make Lotor think twice and back away far enough for Lance to push off the counter and walk over to the coffee machine in the farthest corner from where Lotor was still standing.

It worked. It actually worked. Lance grinned, relief flooding through his system. This absolutely called for a celebratory latte. Now all he had to do was-

Lotor's fingers wrapped around his wrist.

Fuck.

“Lance, I don't think we-”

The bell above the cafe door rang and Lance quickly turned to look at the customer. Tall and broad with black hair and a scar. But what was perhaps more impressive than the scar was the stranger's attire- a policeman uniform. Lance didn't need to step closer to tell what the man was.

Only alphas made it into the police force.

“Carino! You're here!”

“What?”

Without quite thinking it through, Lance yanked his wrist out of Lotor's grasp and rushed towards the alpha, offering him a warm smile and wrapping his arms around his neck.

It was a gamble- as a policeman, the alpha was probably trained to immediately react to any unexpected physical contact. But for whatever reason, the alpha only froze under Lance's touch. It wasn't the most enthusiastic response Lance was hoping for, but at least he wasn't on the floor with a broken limb, right?

“I'm sorry, I think you've-”

“Play along and I'll pay for your drink,” Lance cuts him off and after a moment of uncertainty, he feels the alpha wrap his arms around his hips in a loose hug.

Lance beams as he pulls away from the embrace.

“Come, I want you to meet my boss,” he tells the alpha and grabs his hand. The man allows Lance to drag him over to the counter and extends his arm to Lotor, who shakes it carefully.

“Lotor, this is my boyfriend, uh...”

“Shiro,” the alpha introduces himself. “My name is Shiro. It's a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Lotor says smoothly, if not a little distractedly. He looks between the two of them before nodding at Lance. “I actually need to go on an errand. Will you be fine on your own?”

“Of course,” Lance salutes with a grin.

“Right..." Lotor nods again and grabs his bag from behind the counter. “I'm off, then. I'll be back soon.”

Lance makes a show of straightening out the menus on the counter as Lotor leaves. Once he hears the door close he turns around and smiles sheepishly at Shiro.

“Hey man, I'm sorry for surprising you like that. Thank you for going along with it, though. You really helped me out!”

Shiro chuckles and leans against the counter. “For a moment there I thought I mated with someone and somehow forgot about it, but it's alright. I'm glad I was able to help you.”

“Wait, is that something you do often?” Lance raised a brow. “Mate with people and forget about them?”

Shiro's cheeks reddened and Lance bit his lip. Fuck, had he gone too far?

“Somehow I don't think I'd be able to forget about you,” Shiro finally said, smiling shyly. “I mean. It's not every day that a strange omega hugs you out of the blue.”

Lance's eyes widened. Was that a compliment?

“Haha, right. Well, it's not every day that a strange alpha agrees to play your boyfriend out of the blue, right?”

“I seem to recall that I was promised a free drink for my cooperation...?” Shiro winked.

“Oh! Yeah, of course,” Lance said quickly, hurrying behind the counter and trying to ignore the weakness in his knees. So a handsome alpha winked at him. Big deal. It wasn't like he was the first alpha to do so.

True. But he was the only alpha in uniform to wink at him.

“What would you like?”

“Hmm,” Shiro tapped the counter idly as he looked at the menu before looking up and meeting Lance's eyes with a smile. “What do you recommend?”

Lance swallowed thickly. He really, really hoped Shiro wasn't close enough to scent what his warm smiles and winking were doing to him.

“I, uh, the caramel macchiato here is pretty good.”

“Then I'll go with that.”

Nodding, Lance prepares the drink, all the while feeling the alpha's heavy gaze on him. Once he was done he quickly handed Shiro the plastic cup with a nervous grin.

“One caramel macchiato, on the house.”

“Thank you.”

Shiro's fingers brushed against Lance's knuckles as he accepted the drink and Lance sucked in his breath. He literally had his arms wrapped around Shiro's neck. Why did something as small as a simple brush of skin against skin affect him so?

“I guess I should get going,” Shiro cut off Lance's train of thought (more like train wreck, really) with an apologetic smile. “It was really nice meeting you- uh. I don't think I got your name?”

“Lance.”

“Lance,” there was something about the way Shiro said his name that send a small thrill up Lance's spine. “That's a nice name.”

“Thanks,” Lance said as he rolled up his sleeves. “Shiro isn't too shabby, either.”

“Thank you, but actually, Shiro is just a-”

The loud noise of vibrations cut Shiro off, startling them both. Blinking, Lance watched as Shiro dug into his pants pocket and pulled out his phone. He frowned once he got a good look at the screen.

“Sorry, I need to get this,” Shiro quickly apologized and turned to go. “It was nice getting to know you, Lance.”

Lance nodded, trying not to let the dejection get the best of him as his eyes followed Shiro's departure.  
But just as Shiro pulled the door open, Lance couldn't stop himself.

“My boyfriend gets a free drink and a pastry whenever he visits!”

Lance wasn't sure what possessed him and he was just about ready to crawl into a corner and die when Shiro turned back to look at him. If Shiro hadn't thought he was odd before, he most certainly would want to get the hell away from Lance as fast as he could now.

But maybe Shiro was just as crazy as him, because out of all possible logical reactions, he smiled.

“I guess I know where I'll be eating lunch tomorrow.”

Sirens blared that night, though Shiro saw more than heard them. This job was dangerous, but Shiro's never even thought about leaving it. Sure, it was stressful. Scary even, but he was helping people, and he's always been better at that than taking care of himself.

His scarred face was covered in soot from the fire. He didn't go in himself, but the people bustling out in a panic he had to corral weren't all unscathed from the burning chemical.

Now, he stood with his back leaning on his cop car. His dirty hands mussed his hair as he talked hurriedly into his phone. Shiro's tired eyes laid on the scene in front of him. Several cars lined up in front of the apartment building. Cops, firemen, citizens. The night surrounded him, the only thing lighting up the sky was the flashing red and blue lights and the dimming flames.

He sighed for the thirtieth time that night. His facility operator spoke calmly to him, trying to find out some information to give to the head of his jurisdiction. He gave the start of the fire, room number, and occupants of the room. That’s about all he could say.

He was dismissed after everything settled down. He got in his car and drove home, images of panicked faces and crying children flashing in his mind. But, throughout it all was one face. One pair of sparkling blue eyes.

Lance.

That omega. Shiro still shakes his head in disbelief looking back on it. What are the chances of meeting him that day? He scoffs. If he hadn’t gone into town that day, over heard two betas talking about the café…

He finds himself smiling. The way Lance's face lit up while talking to him. Shiro’s face flushes.

Just one omega with pretty eyes, warm skin, soft hair- what’s he doing!? He was just helping someone out. No big deal! Well, except for the fact that the person he had helped happened to refer to Shiro by boyfriend and invited him back. What will he do with himself?

Go back tomorrow, that’s what.

Shiro can’t argue with that.


	2. Take Your Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance scoffs incredulously, causing the corners of Shiro’s mouth to twitch upwards. “I am not stubborn!”
> 
> Shiro chuckles, “Could’ve fooled me.” There was just something about the atmosphere Shiro put off that was just so contagious.
> 
> “Oh shut up, you.” Lance laughs, leaning more towards the alpha in front of him. “Just cause you’re a cop doesn’t mean you know everything.” He teases. Shiro just shrugs. 
> 
> “It does mean I know more than you, though.” Lance laughs and rolls his eyes, pushing him lightly on the shoulder. 
> 
> “Don’t make me take back my offer. I can do it!” He points a finger in Shiro’s direction, getting met with a fake expression of horror.
> 
> “No! Please don’t do it! Please! I can’t survive without your delicious treats!”
> 
> “Ok, ok.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the song that inspired this chapter! [Take Your Time- Sam Hunt](https://youtu.be/JYBsTZDXPV8)

Ringing. A phone? No. An alarm.

Shiro groans, his hand searching for the source of the loud beeping. Many things are knocked over, but he finds it. His feet find the floor and he heaves himself up.

His bedroom is like a controlled mess. It's not unpresentable nor barely livable, but just enough clutter lays on the floor that if you didn't know your way around you'd most definitely hurt yourself. A couch sits in the corner with a small coffee table sitting in front of it. There's a charging laptop sitting on it, a used mug next to that. Across the way is a desk. Books, journals, and a few stray garments of clothes lay on its surface.

Shiro grumbles and steps forward, feet gliding effortlessly into his slippers. He slips past the laundry basket on his way out, it's empty, and into the hallway.

There's ringing again. This time it _is_ his phone.

“Hello?” Shiro cradles it with his shoulder as he pours himself a cup of coffee, having made his way into the kitchen.

The rest of his house is clutter free.

“That's... no, sir.” His higher up, Iverson, speaks into his ear. His voice is loud and clear. It's also hard and commanding. Shiro's too tired for this.

He's being accused for not checking the site of the fire thoroughly. Apparently, there was a miscommunication on room numbers. Iverson claims that one of the others informed him that he was the culprit.

Shiro couldn't believe this.

“I only said what I was told was true, sir.”

“ _Be that as it may, I have my sources.”_ Shiro's inclined to groan. He knows what's coming.

“What would you like me to do, sir?” He may or may not have had a sarcastic underlining in that question. Iverson didn't seem to notice.

“ _Get here early or have a late lunch. Either way, we need to talk. We... may have had a mistake.”_ Shiro sighs.

“Yes, sir. I'll be there soon.” He sips his coffee.

If there was a mistake he wouldn't have been called. He could've come in at his normal time. There was no way he was getting an option in this matter. Or a say. His hand curls into a fist.

He knows who gave him the false information. They were just taking advantage of the fact that he's the liaison. Iverson trusts him most. He's supposed to get everything across securely and effortlessly. But the efficiency he could do this in relied on how well his co-workers did their jobs. Or, in this case, whether they liked Shiro or not.

Sendak did not.

Now, Shiro had to decide how to handle this, tell Iverson the truth and risk getting hated more, or suffer the consequences. The unfair consequences. But hey, was anything really fair is this world? Omegas get treated like shit and alphas are victim to racism. Even betas are mistreated. That's the government for you. No one gets anything they deserve. Victims of the unspeakable are told to suck it up, and those that did it to them are set free.

Shiro looks down at his arm. He knows this wicked mindset all too well.

He sets his cup down with a harsh clank, gritting his teeth. _Patience yields focus_. It's really sad how often he has to tell himself this.

Images of last night's incident flashes through his mind as he rushes to pull his uniform on. It still smells of smoke. Shiro tries to recall every single detail he can. Anything about Sendak will help. He remembers being handed a beer as the information was passed. He drank it down thankfully, but he didn't get any information wrong. If only he could remember who he talked to. He seems to remember short choppy hair and grey eyes.

He taps his finger on the bathroom counter, eyes staring intently into the mirror above it. God, who was it!? He grumbles and grabs his bag. He'll figure it out later. 

***

“Shiro.”

“Iverson.” Shiro nods in acknowledgment.

Iverson opens up the conference room door for him. The windows are all glass and there's a long table in the middle of the room. Similar to something you'd see on TV.

He motions for Shiro to sit. “Shall we talk?” He asks this as a question but his voice claims that there's no choice. Shiro sits at the opposite end from the man before him.

“I don't have much to say.” Iverson nods, his face contorted in thought.

“I was told you misheard the information?”

“Sir, I have never made a single mistake in all my years. I told exactly what I was given.”

Iverson nods, his one good eye staring Shiro down. “Uh huh..” Iverson holds up a finger, bending below the table and grabbing a case. He sets it on the table, eyes Shiro, and unclicks the latches. Shiro eyes him warily as he pulls out a notebook, overflowing with loose pages.

“Do you know what this is?”

“I assume it's the files of the fire, sir.” Iverson nods.

“Close. It's all the files of every case we've had this year,” Shiro narrows his eyes at this. He wonders if his case is there. It should be, but he doesn't see anything happening about it. “Including the false info from last night.”

Shiro fights to not roll his eyes. “In all due respect, sir, I wouldn't have said anything if I knew it wasn't true.”

“But you did, and now you have to fix it.” He opens the folder and picks up about a handful of papers. “Mr. Takashi,” Shiro flinches at this. Iverson slides the papers over to his side of the table. “Look at these words. They are wrong, as you know,” He leans back in his chair, his eye staring him down as Shiro looks them over warily. His hands fold in his lap as he continues, “This is a crucial mistake, and I trusted you. We could get in serious trouble.”

“I know but-”

“Ah! I'm not finished.” Shiro's eyes flare, but he lowers them. He knows this system. He knows it's not his place. “Since, you're right, this _is_ your first mistake, I'm going to let you off with a warning, but not without consequences. Though it won't be serious, I'm going to put you on probation for this week,” Shiro sighs quietly. “Instead of doing your assigned and preferred job, I'm putting you on prison watch.” Everyone knows Shiro still has nightmares and scars from the last time he was put on prison watch. The people there are cruel, and the fights they start are brutal. Especially when they turn on him.

Shiro's head raises. “What?” Iverson's mouth quirks. That bastard. “That's hardly fair!”

“Life isn't fair, Shirogane.” Something twists in Shiro's gut at that. Something that makes him want to take out Iverson's other eye. “You should know that very well.”

Oh hell no.

Shiro stands. “I cannot believe-”

“That I'm letting you off with a warning? Well, believe it. Now get out of here before you do something you regret, _Shiro._ ”

Taking a deep breath, Shiro nodded, but not after sending a glare his way. He stepped out of the office, grip hard on the wooden door. He had to try so hard not to slam it behind him. This facility was so corrupted, and he hated it.

“Aww, look who got reprimanded. You get your feelings hurt, Shirogane?”

Shiro bared his teeth. “Sendak.”

The man standing before him winked. “The one and only.” Oh, what an ace alpha. Shiro's hands turned into tight fists at his side and Sendak noticed. “Is the big bad alpha gonna put me in my place?”

“I won't stoop to your level.” Shiro growled, whipping around.

“That's right Takashi, run away.”

“Fuck off.” And he was gone, the sound of laughter in his wake.

***

Bony fingers tapped on the counter, a palm on smooth copper skin. Lance’s blue eyes stared the front door down with a passion. It was half-past twelve and he was feeling restless. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Lotor eyeing him. He had told his handsy boss that his boyfriend was coming over for lunch, and guess who hadn’t shown yet.

“Lance.” Speak of the devil. A hand found its way onto Lance's shoulder, and he had half the mind to push it off.

“He’s coming, Lotor.” Lotor scoffed.

“You don’t have to lie to me anymore.” Lance could practically feel his eyes flare in response. Why couldn’t he just buzz off already!?

Lance whips around. “I'm not lying to you. I told you the truth, and I would appreciate it if you could stop…” His voice wavers at the look in Lotor's eyes. He shuts his eyes for a moment, trying to erase the image of that face full of lust and longing. “Stop touching me like that.” He steels himself, blue eyes meeting purple ones. “Like I said, I have a boyfriend, whom you’ve met, and he’s _very_ protective… Y'know, being a _cop_ and everything.” His lips curl at the ends in what Lance hopes is a menacing smirk. Lotor only looks slightly fazed.

Damn.

“Lance.” Lotor’s smooth velvety voice rings out his name. Lance wishes he could forget how it sounds on those lips. It causes a disgusting churn in his stomach.

“What?” He spat, not really meaning to, but there was only so much a person could take.

Lotor smirks at this. “I always did love your spunk.” There was that churning feeling again. Lance was gonna hurl. “I wasn’t done talking to you yesterday.”

Lance jerks, knocking Lotor off of him. “There was nothing left to talk about. There still isn’t.”

“You say that and yet…” Lotor traps him against the counter with his body. Lance’s eyes widen a fraction, heart speeding up with fear. “Your body yearns for me.” Deep violets stare into petrified blues.

“Ahem.” Lance can feel Lotor’s body tense where it presses against his, and then he’s jumping away. Lance stands stiffly, turning his head back to look at the interceptor. “Am I interrupting something?”

Lance can’t believe it. Saved again by the man in uniform. “Shiro.” He breathes, casting a glare towards Lotor. He jumps when a hand slams against the counter, Shiro’s shoulders shifting to allow him closer to Lotor’ s frozen form.

“I’ve been assigned to watch over the prisoners for the rest of the week. _Don’t let me see you there._ ” Lance can feel himself shiver. God, he was just… amazing. Lance felt a little lightheaded.

A strong hand rips him out of his trance. It’s Shiro’s and _God_ does it feel good wrapped around his wrist. No. Not now, Lance.

Lance whips his head to meet soft eyes. “Are you alright?” That’s when he noticed Lotor was nowhere in sight. His eyes flicker down to his wrist and Shiro guiltily removes his hand. Lance meets him with a smile.

“Yeah. I’m good. Thanks for swooping in like that.” He says it like it’s no problem, but the look in Shiro’s eyes say otherwise.

“Lance,” Lance is pretty sure his knees wobbled a bit. “How long has this been going on?”

Lance waves a hand vaguely. “Oh, you know… bout three months?” His eyebrows dip as a meek smile plasters his cheeks. At the stony look he gets in response, Lance raises an eyebrow, stepping back from the man. A feeling washes over him telling him to avoid eye contact. There’s an angry alpha in the premises. “It’s no problem though… I can deal with it.” He eyes the floor as his hands fiddle with a coffee filter.

“Three months!? Lance, get over here.” Lance can feel himself bare his neck at the sound of that commanding voice. If Shiro notices he doesn’t say anything. Lance takes himself back to Shiro, still not meeting his eyes. A gentle hand lifts his chin. “Lance… that’s not fine.” A thumb strokes his cheek, and Lance leans into it before it pulls away. A flash of fear runs through Shiro’s features at Lance’s reaction.

Lance gulps. “I… I’ve been thinking of quitting honestly… but…”

“But?”

“I wouldn’t be able to find another job.” Lance admits this meekly. His head fell again, Shiro's efforts to meet his gaze failing.

“Why not?” Shiro’s eyes bore into Lance, but it’s not sickening like when Lotor does it. It’s actually… comforting.

Lance’s whole body tenses, a mix of feelings and emotions running through his eyes that are impossible to piece together, even to Lance, as he whips his head up, arms outstretching from his sides. “Because I'm an omega! We can’t exactly get jobs easily…” He sighed, pitifully leaning his elbow on the counter, cheek meeting palm.

Shiro’s mouth pursed in thought. “Well, it’s better than staying in an environment that puts you in danger.” He narrows his eyes pointedly, and Lance’s eyes widen in response.

“Look,” He says, standing to his full height. “I can take care of myself. Besides, I invited you here for a drink and a pastry, not as my bodyguard.” At that Shiro’s shoulders drop, and he sighs reluctantly.

“Are you always this stubborn?”

Lance scoffs incredulously, causing the corners of Shiro’s mouth to twitch upwards. “I am not stubborn!”

Shiro chuckles, “Could’ve fooled me.” There was just something about the atmosphere Shiro put off that was just so contagious.

“Oh shut up, you.” Lance laughs, leaning more towards the alpha in front of him. “Just cause you’re a cop doesn’t mean you know everything.” He teases. Shiro just shrugs.

“It does mean I know more than you, though.” Lance laughs and rolls his eyes, pushing him lightly on the shoulder.

“Don’t make me take back my offer. I can do it!” He points a finger in Shiro’s direction, getting met with a fake expression of horror.

“No! Please don’t do it! Please! I can’t survive without your delicious treats!”

“Ok, ok.”

***

Cold air blows through Lance's hair as he walks along downtown city streets peacefully, a spring in his step. His shift is over and he can't help but replay the events of the day through his head for the billionth time. Sure Lotor got a bit handsy but then... _Oh_ but then. He can feel his smile get just a little bit wider. To the outside world, nothing could stop him, and he agreed with it.

Suddenly, that feeling washed away as a figure slammed into him from behind. Lance went toppling to the ground with a gasp, his attacker following in hot pursuit. After recovering he sat up on his hands, trying to catch a face, maybe a name to hate. “Hey! What the hell, man!?” From the looks of it, it's a boy about his age with dark black hair, a thin frame, and a sharp jaw. His skateboard sits to the side of him, overturned.

The man looked up at him, eyes aflame with shame. “Sorry!” He scrambles to his feet, outstretching a hand to help Lance up. “I wasn't looking where I was going. Are you okay?”

Lance huffed and stood on his own, not missing the guilty look on the other's face. “Yeah, obviously.” He muttered, sending a glare in the other's direction. “I'm fine. If you'll excuse me...” He starts to turn.

“Wait!” Lance raises an eyebrow.

“What?”

“I'm Keith.”

“Nice to meet you. Bye now.” Lance was probably over-reacting, but he was in a good mood, okay!? Then this kid, _Keith_ , comes and, quite literally, knocks it out of him.

 “Dude. I really am sorry.” His eyes lower, and Lance has just enough heart to feel slightly sorry.

“And it's fine. But I really should be going. I'm Lance by the way.” Keith looks back up at him, a small smile on his cheeks. It's kinda cute.

“Bye then.”

Lance waves him goodbye as he skates off, grumbling and rubbing his arm once he was out of sight. Who did he think he was? Ugh. What a way to end a day.

***

That night Lance decided he needed some real TLC. It wasn't like he didn't pamper himself often, but with a day like his, he needed a break from the regular hustle of life.

“ _Hello?_ ”

“Hey man,” Lance sat on his couch in his favorite jacket, tank top, and some blue shorts. His head and shoulder cradled his phone as he carefully filed his nails. “I was wondering if you wanted to come hang out? I've had _quite_ the day.”

“ _Oh no... Was it Lotor again?_ ”

“No, no... well... yeah kinda. But that's not it. I practically got ran over by some douche on a skateboard.”

“ _Was he actually a douche or are you just over-reacting again?_ ” The voice on the other line sounded amused, like this was a thing Lance did often. As if.

“How dare. But seriously, I need a friend right about now... you can cook if you want to?” His voice was hopeful, like he didn't just suggest it so his buddy could have a little fun. Well, that, and he could get a free meal. That's always a plus.

“ _Fine, fine. We gotta hang out too though. I'm not your personal chef._ ” The jab had no heat behind it, just the familiar banter between two lifetime friends.

“I know that, Hunk.” A laugh sounded on the other side, ending the call.

Lance smirked. Wait till he told him about his knight in shining uniform.

 


	3. Geronimo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damn, Lance thought. He didn't care if this was as friends or whatever, but he was gonna hang out with Shiro! That in itself sounded like an amazing reason to deal with Lotor's incessant proceedings.  
> Today's gonna be a great day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoop! here it is! I'm about to be without internet for a week, so I wanted to hurry up and get this out. Hope you like it!  
> Title song- [Geronimo by Sheppard](https://youtu.be/E-SeaCZE2TM)

“So, I'm here, I've made you dinner, I've pampered you to no end, and you still haven't told me what happened yet!” Two friends sat in a decorated apartment living room, relaxed and stomachs full. Though, one in particular's mind was reeling with every kind of way he could _possibly_ explain this situation. He truly didn't think this through.

“I'm sorry, Hunk. It's kinda hard to explain. I'm just trying to put my thoughts together. Thanks for the food though.” Lance shot Hunk his signature smile, meeting a playful eye roll.

“Don't worry, bud. I get it.” Hunk placed a comforting hand on Lance's shoulder, smiling when the boy leaned into it gratefully. “Whenever you're ready, I'm all ears.”

All ears...

Lance sighs, flopping onto the back of the couch they curled up on. “Well... It all started with Lotor,” He felt Hunk tense up beside him. “And a police officer.” Lance looked over at Hunk who had situated himself more towards Lance, face wide with astonishment. Lance smiled at him, and began to explain- from Shiro to Keith, everything came pouring out. Some laughs were shared, as well as a few hugs; at the end of it, there was silence. Then:

“Shiro was right, y'know.” Hunk's voice scared Lance out of his thoughts.

“What?”

“When he said you were stubborn.” Lance crossed his arms.

“I know... I just... I _can't_ quit, Hunk!”

“I know.” More silence.

***

“Lance!”

Lance's head whipped around towards the source of his name from where he stood by the coffee machine. A strong and sturdy form blocked his view of the many windows at the front of the store.

“Hey, Shiro!” Lance turned, leaning on the counter as he poured the freshly ground coffee into a cup, a huge smile on his face. “What brings you here today? Lookin' for a meal?” Lance winked at him, feeling suspiciously similar to one of those ladies at diners in all those cliché movies.

Shiro waved a hand in dismissal. “Nah. Just passing through. Thought I'd come see you.” Lance wasn't sure, but he thought he saw the beginning of a blush on the cop's cheeks. Okay, yeah, definitely a cliché diner scene. “Can I ask you something?”

Lance's smile fell a fraction. “Yeah, of course.” His eyebrows dipped in concern. “Is everything okay?”

Shiro quieted a moment, gathering his thoughts, Lance assumed. “Yeah. I'm good. Just wondering what you're up to later.”

Lance's heart skipped a beat. Here he was, just a simple ole' omega trying to make it in life, and a handsome as hell alpha is asking him out!

Hold up.

Nope. No no no. That's not what's happening here. Definitely not. He's just asking to hang out as a friend!

“Oh! I'm not doing anything!” Lance grimaced at his overly excited tone, mentally telling himself to dial it down a notch.

Shiro seemed happy though, his face brightening. “Great! Wanna hang out sometime later?”

“Sure. When ya thinking?”

Shiro hummed in thought, eyes studying the counter. “Hmm... How about...” His eyes flicked back up to Lance's face. “When are you off work?”

“Three.”

Shiro nodded. “Okay then. How about 3:30 or four? We can meet up here.”

Lance shot him a smile and a nod. “Four sounds great.” It'll give him enough time to look nice, and maybe, just maybe, smell a little less like coffee and bagels.

Shiro smiled once again, saying his goodbyes, on his way to work himself.

Damn, Lance thought. He didn't care if this was as friends or whatever, but _he was gonna hang out with Shiro!_ That in itself sounded like an amazing reason to deal with Lotor's incessant proceedings.

Today's gonna be a great day.

***

Lance sat on the sidewalk's bench, right in front of the cafe, waiting for Shiro to get there. He could hardly sit still, anticipation raking through his bones. He probably checked through his Instagram five times before he felt a tap on his shoulder. Jolting, he stood, whipping around with a smile, only for that smile to fall at the sight of the person he least wanted to see.

“L-Lotor?”

Lotor smirked at him. “Happy to see me, eh?”

Lance's features fell into a grimace and he turned back around, grumbling to himself. “Not quite.”

Lotor sat next to him, throwing an arm over Lance's shoulders and pulling him close. “Aw, don't be that way! Y'know,” Lotor leaned in to whisper in Lance's ear, making the boy shiver in disgust. “You don't have to pretend to like that _cop_ anymore.” Lotor's hand trailed down Lance's side. “It's clear who you _really_ want...” Lotor leans in closer, his hot breath washing over Lance's skin, his lips brushing his cheek, and Lance wishes he could deck him, but he kinda needs this job.

Right when Lance was about to lose every ounce of resolve he had, a hand landed on Lotor's shoulder. “Excuse me?” Lotor leaned away, clearly annoyed that someone interrupted him. Lance's eyes were shut tightly, clearly either deeply afraid or about to lose his shit.

“Ye-s?” Lotor's voice stuttered at the sight of Shiro, eyes widening with alarm.

“What do you think you're doing?”

“I, I-”

“Leave.” Shiro commanded, leading Lotor to scurry away.

Shiro heaved a sigh, landing heavily next to Lance, whose eyes were still closed. Lance flinched and Shiro grimaced.

“Hey, it's me, Shiro.” Shiro's voice was gentle, calming. Lance slowly opened his eyes, form relaxing under Shiro's reassuring gaze.

“I-”

“I'm sorry.”  
“W-what? What for?” Lance blinked, head tilting to the side in confusion.

“For not getting here sooner.” Lance only rolled his eyes.

“Don't apologize for that. Let's just,” Lance paused, regaining his composure. “Let's go have fun, alright?” He offered Shiro a smile, standing and holding out his hand.

Shiro grinned back at him, taking his hand with his human one and pulling himself up. Lance thought he was gonna faint at the contact. Luckily, he was still conscious.

***

Walking downtown, Lance grinned at Shiro, who was talking animatedly, gesturing to his favorite store across the street.

Lance grabbed Shiro's hand, pulling him along the crosswalk. “What are we waiting for? Let's go check it out, then!” He heard Shiro chuckle behind him, succeeding in making his smile grow wider.

They stepped into a small family owned shop, the bell ringing above them. Shiro's face brightened as he looked around. There wasn't much, just a few knickknacks and antiques. Shiro's hand gently stroked over a wooden rocking chair, his smile going fond. Lance's eyes sparkled in curiosity. He wondered what it was about this place, these items, that made Shiro so happy. That's when he saw it.

A silver-haired girl stood at the counter, leaning on it happily, looking at him. It was clear when Shiro noticed her, because his smile somehow grew. “Allura! I haven't seen you in ages!”

He ran over, giving her a hug over the counter. She laughed, patting him on the back. When she spoke to greet him, let's just say Lance did a double take at the sound of her voice. It was so smooth and melodious. Lance could listen to it for hours. He blushed when Allura turned her attention on him.

“Who's this?” She smirked at Shiro who blushed in return. Lance didn't seem to notice this exchange.

Instead, he waved sheepishly, mesmerized by her bright blue eyes. “I'm Lance, a friend of Shiro's.”

“A friend, hm?” Lance nodded shyly.

“Yeah, we uh- Just met a couple days ago.”

Shiro nodded, face turning grim for a couple seconds. “I've been helping him out.”

The silver-haired cashier took interest in this. “Helping him out? How so?”

Lance waved off the question. “That's unimportant. How do you two know each other?”

The girl in question raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, replying with a fond smile. “Oh, we've known each other since we were little. He's practically a part of the family,” Her grin turned into a stern frown, but her eyes were still full of happiness. “He hasn't shown up in quite a _while_ , though.” She looked pointedly at Shiro, who responded with an uncomfortable shrug and an apologetic smile.

“I'm sorry, Lura. I've been really busy with work. You know how it goes.”

Allura nodded solemnly. “I'm afraid I do, yes.”

Shiro patted her on the shoulder. “Well, we should be going. Don't wanna take up too much of your time.” He teased.

She chuckled. “Yes, get out of my hair! I worked really hard on it today.” Shiro chuckled as well, turning to Lance who now felt like he was intruding on something, kinda thankful they were leaving.

***

Once they were out of the shop and more towards the center of town, Lance suggested they go out and visit the park. His hands were full of shopping bags, Shiro having bared with him as he ventured off on a mini shopping spree, and he was aching to sit down somewhere. From the looks of it, Shiro shared the sentiment. So, off they went.

Lance heaved a sigh as he finally piled his bags around him, sitting down in a shady part of the park, the jacket he wore tied around his waist acted as a barrier between him and the ground. Shiro leaned against the tree, smiling at him in amusement.

“Do you always buy this much?”

Lance laughed, looking at him with seriousness. “Oh no. This was just a _small_ shopping spree.” He flipped his hair, looking proud of himself. “I usually buy much more.” At the sound of the alpha's scoff, Lance smiled meekly. “I mean, I don't get to do them often, but yeah- this isn't much in my standards.”

Shiro nodded, amusement still present on his face. “I see.”

“Yeah...”

Suddenly, they fell into a silence, both of them on the grass, Lance surrounded by his bags, and Shiro up against the sturdy oak.

“So...” Lance said after a while.

“So?”

“This is kinda awkward...”

Shiro's expression morphed into something thoughtful. “Is it? I thought it was nice.”

Lance shrugged. “I'm not used to being this quiet for this long.”

The cop chuckled. “I can tell.”

Lance looked at him, a little offended. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“You're quite talkative.” He pointed out.

That's fair, Lance reasoned.

Looking around the park for something fun to do, Lance's eyes narrowed in concentration. He felt a little bit more energized after their break from walking, and him being him, needed something else to do. There wasn't much else around, but _surely_ he could find something they could both enjoy. Only problem, there was literally nothing around they hadn't already seen. Lance sighed, slumping into himself, arms crossed. He was so bored! He couldn't stand the quiet, even though Shiro seemed to enjoy it. Not to mention his inability to sit still for even slightly extended amounts of time.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Shiro looking at him, and he turned his head to meet his gaze.

“Are you getting bored?” He asked.  
“Kind of. I'm not too good at the whole be quiet and sit still thing.”

Shiro nodded in understanding. “Why don't we go for a walk? I know we've been walking a lot, but without the usual sights of the city, it'll give us some time to actually talk and get to know each other better,” Shiro raised an eyebrow at Lance and his many bags. “Without... _getting distracted_.”

Lance chuckled. “Yeah, that makes sense. Let's do it.”

Shiro smiled, apparently happy they found something they could both enjoy for once.

***

The sun shining above them created the perfect atmosphere for a walk. Shiro gazed out at the many different types of flowers, and Lance watched the clouds roll by. They walked along in a comfortable silence for a while before the first sentence was spoken.

“I'm really glad we did this today. My friend Hunk was so happy to hear that Lotor was finally backing off, at least a little. I kinda told him all that happened, cause, y'know, he's my best friend. I can't _not_ tell him. But, he did say you were right about the whole 'I'm stubborn' thing, which, is very disrespectful if you ask me.” Lance stole a glance at Shiro's chuckling form, smiling to himself.

“Hunk sounds like a very sensible man. What are your other friends like?”

“Well, there's Pidge and Shay, but she went off to college recently so I haven't been able to see her in a while. Pidge and I met a year ago, I'm pretty sure she's a demon,” He smiled fondly. “But, I _guess_ I can tolerate her.”

Shiro smiled. “They sound great. Except for the demon thing, but, y'know.”

“Yeah.” Lance laughed.

They were quiet for another couple minutes, a soft breeze rustling the leaves.

“When you're mated, and you're able to go to college, what are your goals? What do you want to be?”

Lance seemed surprised at the question, but he answered honestly nonetheless. “Well, I'm wanting to be a teacher. I guess I'll just try to do all that I can to get there, really. I'm thinking of getting a master's in it, but,” Lance sighed. “That's a long ways away...”

Shiro rose an eyebrow. “How come?”

Sighing again, Lance averted the man's gaze. “Y'know, it's just- I actually have to find a mate first. Everything would be so much easier if I was just a beta or an alpha.”

Shiro laid a hand on his shoulder. “You know it's that way for your own protection, right?”

“I'm aware,” He grumbled. “That doesn't mean I have to like it, though.”

“No, it does not...” He agreed. “But at least it lessens the chance for you to be taken advantage of... Like with Lotor.”

“I'm not in the mood for that lecture right now.” Shiro nodded, ending the subject.

***

Towards the end of the trail, it started getting dark. Lance placed his bags on the ground, sighing in relief at the loss of their weight, and Shiro eyed him with concern.

Lance, being the overdramatic person he is, waved a hand at Shiro as he doubled over, grabbing his stomach and wheezing. “No need to worry!” Wheeze. “I'm completely fine!” At the sound of Shiro's laugh, he stood again, a self-satisfied smile plastered on. “Tah-Dah!”

Shiro smiled at him fondly. “I'm so glad you're okay.” He said in monotone.

Lance crooked an eyebrow at him along with a smile. “Your concern is greatly appreciated.”

Shiro nodded at him, turning to look up at the sky. The sun was on its way to becoming fully gone, and this made Shiro frown. “We should probably leave now.” He pulled his phone out, checking the time. The numbers on his screen made him cringe. “I have work tomorrow too.” He sighed, looking over at Lance. “Need me to take you home? I'm thinking we can catch a cab back to the cafe.”

Lance waved him off. “I'll just call an uber or something. You get yourself home.”

Shiro looked around for a moment. “You'll call one now orr...”

The omega nodded sarcastically. “If you'll allow me to.” Shiro smiled at him and rolled his eyes.

“Okay, let me just-” Shiro reached into his back pocket, pulling out a piece of paper.

Lance rose an eyebrow, curious as to what this man could possibly be doing. “What's that for?”

“Crap.” He muttered, a soft blush now raising on his cheeks, him having realized something. He wouldn't meet Lance's gaze, only succeeding in making the other nervous. “I... was going to write down my number, but I don't have a pen on me.”

Lance blanched, heat rising to his face. “I- I- oh.”

Shiro rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling nervously. “So, uh yeah. Can I have your number?”

Shaking away his thoughts, Lance nodded a little too quickly. “Yeah. Yeah, of course. Just let me call an uber real quick.” He quickly typed in his address, getting a notification that it was on its way. He smiled, then pulling up his contacts and handing his phone to Shiro so he could type in his number. To be frank, he was surprised that he hadn't already combusted at this point. His face was fire engine red, and his heart was beating 100 miles a minute. When Shiro handed his phone back to him, Lance was surprised he didn't die on the spot. This was _actually_ happening, no jokes being pulled. He looked up at Shiro with wide eyes, Shiro smiling down at him nervously. Lance thought about hugging this big oaf, but he restrained himself.

Soon enough, too soon, Lance got the notification that his uber was here. He regretfully bid Shiro farewell and piled all his stuff in. The starstruck omega absentmindedly told the driver his address, and when they went to make conversation, Lance's responses were only hums of agreement, his mind preoccupied with whoops of joy.

He got Shiro's number!

_Fuck yes._

 


End file.
